Orange County Escrow Association

What Orange County Escrow Association does

Orange County Escrow Association (OCEA) is a regional professional trade association serving licensed escrow professionals and allied service providers operating in Orange County, California. Its core function is member convening: it organizes recurring luncheons, mixers, and installation/holiday events that bring together escrow practitioners, title representatives, and supporting vendors, while channeling Sacramento-facing regulatory and legislative representation through its affiliation with the California Escrow Association (CEA). OCEA holds the position of largest membership among CEA's Regional Associations.

OCEA's products are programmatic rather than technological. There is no proprietary software, platform, or technology stack; the offering consists of scheduled member meetings, networking events, sponsorship opportunities (notably a Silver-tier corporate sponsorship), and access to industry-level advocacy routed through CEA. Distribution is direct to escrow professionals and firms in Orange County, and go-to-market is community-led via board governance and volunteer committees.

The business model is membership-fee driven, supplemented by per-event meeting fees (documented in the $40–$55 range) and corporate sponsorship revenue. Membership dues are administered through the CEA umbrella. Headcount is reported in the 11–50 range, though operations appear substantially volunteer-driven. The association is governed by annually refreshed officers and a Board of Directors; no parent company, outside investors, or acquisition activity is evidenced in the supplied material.

Name

Orange County Escrow Association

Legal name

Orange County Escrow Association

Website

https://o-c-e-a.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Orange County Escrow Association is a regional trade association serving escrow professionals in Orange County, California, providing member events, networking, and Silver-tier sponsorships under affiliation with the California Escrow Association.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Escrow Services (BPAJAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Escrow & Fiduciary Escrow Services (FSAAANAH)

Keywords

• Escrow professional association
• Escrow education programs
• Professional certification training
• Industry networking events
• Legislative advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Causeway Bay

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: OCEA is a regional association of the California Escrow Association (CEA). Membership in CEA grants membership in the designated regional association (OCEA). Dues are collected through the CEA membership framework, with no separate regional dues.
2. Meeting and Event Fees: OCEA charges paid attendance fees for its general membership dinner meetings and educational events. Members pay a reduced prepay rate (e.g., $40) while non-members pay a higher rate (e.g., $50). Late registrations and walk-ins are charged at-door pricing.
3. Sponsorships: OCEA generates revenue through corporate sponsorships. The association lists Silver Sponsors annually (e.g., A-Team Staffing, BancServ, CB Trust, Citizens Business Bank, City National Bank, East West Bank, Exchange Resources, Exeter, Laguna Legal, My NHD, Pothier, RBJ Software) and sells dinner meeting co-sponsorship slots to associate companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Orange County Escrow Association (OCEA) is a regional professional association of the California Escrow Association (CEA) that serves escrow professionals in Orange County, California. It delivers educational programs (Day of Education events, PD workshops), bi-monthly dinner meetings, statewide professional certification pathways, networking events, the CEA NEWS quarterly publication, and Sacramento-based legislative advocacy on escrow-related policy.

Product overview

Orange County Escrow Association (O.C.E.A.) is a regional professional association, not a technology product company. It provides membership services including educational programs, professional certification preparation (C.E.A. Professional Designations), networking meetings and events, legislative representation, and industry resources for escrow professionals in Orange County, California. The association does not offer software products, platforms, or technology solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OCEA Membership (via California Escrow Association) Annual professional association membership in OCEA obtained through the California Escrow Association (CEA) membership framework. Provides escrow professionals in Orange County with access to the CEA NEWS quarterly publication, an industry resource library, Sacramento legislative representation, and the right to attend OCEA meetings and programs. Dues are collected through CEA with no separate regional dues.
• General Membership Dinner Meetings Bi-monthly in-person dinner meetings for OCEA members and non-members featuring educational programs, networking, raffles, and professional designations presentations. Held at venues such as Avenue of the Arts Wyndham Hotel in Costa Mesa, CA, and National University in Costa Mesa. Member prepay $40, member at-door $45, non-member prepay $50, non-member at-door $55.
• Day of Education Events Full-day educational events providing professional training for escrow practitioners, including Bulk Sale Forums and other topical workshops. Pricing: $50 for PD holders, $55 for members of any CEA Regional, $60 for non-members, with a $25 surcharge for late/walk-in registration after the Wednesday deadline.
• Professional Designation (PD) Workshops and Certification Exams Local workshops and certification exams offered in Orange County in partnership with the Escrow Training Institute, supporting statewide professional designations (e.g., CSEO, CEI, SASIP) based on comprehensive examinations administered through the California Escrow Association. Designed for escrow practitioners seeking recognized industry credentials.
• Sacramento Legislative Advocacy Representation Representation in Sacramento through a professional legislative advocate on escrow-related legislation and regulatory matters. Provided as a member benefit of the California Escrow Association (CEA), giving OCEA members a voice with elected representatives on issues affecting the escrow profession.
• CEA NEWS Quarterly Publication Quarterly industry publication from the California Escrow Association delivered to members across regional associations, including OCEA. Contains industry news, legislative updates, educational content, and information relevant to escrow professionals statewide.

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Escrow Association (CEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCEA is a regional association affiliated with the California Escrow Association (CEA). Membership in CEA automatically includes membership in the designated regional association — OCEA. The two organizations are not separate. CEA provides the statewide framework including professional designations, annual conferences, the CEA NEWS publication, legislative advocacy, and a comprehensive website for all regional associations.
• Escrow Training InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCEA partners with the Escrow Training Institute as its educational partner to co-present educational workshops and professional designation (PD) programs. The partnership includes Day of Education events, Bulk Sale Forums, and PD workshops and exams hosted in Orange County. Larry O'Brien, President of Escrow Training Institute, provides consistent support and co-sponsors OCEA meetings.
• A-Team StaffingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA in 2026. Provides staffing services to escrow companies.
• BancServminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA in 2025/2026.
• CB Trust (CalBank Trust)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA in 2026.
• Citizens Business BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA. Co-sponsor of OCEA dinner meetings and raffle prize donor.
• City National BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA. Donated raffle prizes and served as co-sponsor of OCEA dinner meetings.
• East West BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA. Co-sponsor of OCEA mini-workshops and dinner meetings. Donated raffle prizes.
• Exchange ResourcesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA in 2026.
• ExeterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA in 2026.
• Laguna Legal HelpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA in 2026.
• My NHDminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA.
• Pothier (Rose Pothier, Esq.)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA in 2026. Rose Pothier, Esq. of Pothier & Associates has served as a speaker on topics such as cyber-hacking of escrow trust accounts.
• RBJ SoftwareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of OCEA. Hosted/co-sponsored OCEA dinner meetings and donated raffle prizes.
• Bank of the WestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of OCEA mini-workshops (Anthony Bourg presenting on Microsoft Outlook and Twitter). Donated raffle prizes. Margie Coenraad-Martinez serves as an OCEA Director.
• Opus BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLunch Sponsor for OCEA Day of Education event. Co-sponsor of OCEA dinner meetings and raffle prize donor.
• SMS (Software and Management Services)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRoom Sponsor for OCEA Day of Education event. Co-sponsor of OCEA dinner meetings and raffle prize donor.
• Notaries ExpressminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of OCEA Day of Education event. Donated raffle prizes.
• First Corporate SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Bulk Sale Forum workshop and donated raffle prizes.
• FPS SummitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of OCEA dinner meetings. Scott Hunt with FPS Summit donated raffle prizes and hosted meetings.
• American Escrow AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a resource link on OCEA's Resources page, providing a connection to the national escrow association.
• American Land Title Association (ALTA)minorOthersListed as a resource link on OCEA's Resources page.
• Escrow Institute of CaliforniaminorOthersListed as a resource link on OCEA's Resources page.
• Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI)minorOthersListed as a resource on OCEA's Resources page; DFPI is the California state regulator for escrow companies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Broad incumbents

• California Escrow Association (CEA): Statewide parent association of which OCEA is a regional chapter. CEA provides the statewide framework for professional designations, the annual Education Conference, the CEA NEWS publication, and Sacramento legislative advocacy that OCEA's members benefit from. Directly comparable in mission and structure at the state level.
• American Escrow Association: National-level escrow professional association listed as a resource link on OCEA's website. Comparable as a membership organization serving escrow professionals, but operating at the U.S. national scope rather than regional.

Others

• Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA): National trade association for the real estate finance industry. Operates a parallel model of membership, professional certification (CMPS, AMP), conferences, and advocacy. Adjacent ecosystem participant since escrow often interfaces with mortgage origination and servicing workflows.
• American Land Title Association (ALTA): National trade association for the title insurance and settlement industry. OCEA's board includes title company leaders (Fidelity, Stewart, Chicago Title, WFG) who are also ALTA constituents. Adjacent ecosystem player serving closely related real estate transaction professionals.
• California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.): Statewide trade association for real estate agents, the upstream counterpart to escrow professionals. Many OCEA member firms serve C.A.R.'s membership; comparable as a California professional association ecosystem participant in the real estate transaction stack.
• California Land Title Association (CLTA): Statewide title industry association analogous to CEA in the title vertical. OCEA members (escrow and title professionals) frequently overlap with CLTA's membership; comparable as a state-level trade body serving California real estate transaction professionals.
• National Association of REALTORS (NAR): Largest U.S. trade association in the residential real estate transaction stack. Comparable in operating model (membership, education, advocacy, professional designations) to OCEA, but operating at the national level and one stage upstream in the transaction flow.

Direct peers

• Escrow Institute of California: Statewide California escrow trade association also referenced on OCEA's Resources page. Serves a substantially overlapping member base of California escrow professionals with education and certification, making it a direct parallel to OCEA at the state level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orange-county-escrow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orange County Escrow Association